USA: Candie's Goes Global With Canada And UK Deals

Candie's Inc has entered into two separate agreements that will guarantee minimum footwear purchases of approximately US$10 million over the next three years, and will increase substantially its international presence.

The first is an exclusive agreement with Bata Retail Canada, a division of Bata Industries Limited, to distribute and sell its branded women's footwear in Canada. The collection will be marketed exclusively through Bata's retail stores and will be available from July.

The company has also appointed Sweet Sole as its exclusive distributor for the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Both the foreign collections in Canada and the UK will include the most popular items from the Candie's line, as well as products specifically designed to meet the fashion focus of each market.

In commenting on the new Canadian agreement, Ian Gomar, president of Bata Retail Canada, stated: "Candie's has become an exceptional branded collection for Bata Retail. We are excited about expanding our product offerings and continuing to market the entire line of products in what we believe will be an extremely successful venture.''

Neil Cole, CEO of Candie's added: "We are very excited about these partnerships. We are pleased to be increasing the availability of Candie's products to our Canadian consumer and to expanding our UK business as a gateway to the rest of Europe. Both our new partners are committed to building a substantial business in their respective markets, and we believe these are excellent first steps in creating a world wide demand for our brand and products.''